METAMORA — Tony Romo talked tournament golf, Tom Brady, back health, NFL kickoffs, his dream golf pairing and more in his return to Metamora Fields Golf Club on Tuesday.
The No. 1 commentator on CBS NFL game broadcasts, and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, last year missed the cut in the inaugural OSF Children’s Hospital Illinois Golf Championships while fighting a cranky back.
Asked what he hopes to do in his return to Metamora, Romo didn’t hesitate.
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“My goal is to win,” he said. “That’s it whenever you show up. Hopefully we’ll be able to get into the mix this week.”
The OSF tourney is an official stop on the All Pro Tour and the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour, both pro golf circuits each with 11 stops around the country from March through late August. With a prize purse of $162,000 — including $30,000 each to the winners of the APT and Annika WPT events — the tournament at Metamora is the richest among the combined 22 stops on the tours.
“(My back is) better than last year,” Romo said. “As you get older you have to do more. I feel like in back years I’m pretty old.
“But the people here are so generous, so nice, allow me to play in this tournament, so I feel like people who help you out, you want to help them out, too. It’s a special place, I really enjoyed it last year.”
Romo was the top celebrity playing in the pro-am Tuesday. He is scheduled to visit patients at Children’s Hospital later this week. The 72-hole tournament runs Wednesday through Saturday, with players from the men’s and women’s events spread evenly over Metamora Fields Golf Club and WeaverRidge Golf Club in Peoria.
Romo tees off on Wednesday at 2:31 p.m. on the No. 1 hole at Metamora. He’ll play with Atlanta pro Will Chandler. His Day 2 tee time is 9:01 a.m. at WeaverRidge.
Players who spent Day 1 on the Metamora course will shift to WeaverRidge on Day 2, and vice versa. There is a tournament schedule online.
Romo, meanwhile, answered some questions while warming up for the pro-am.
What about the new NFL kickoffs format?
The NFL in 2024 will implement a landmark rule change to kickoffs during which special teams players line up 5 yards apart at the 40- and 35-yard lines and wait until a kick lands or is touched by one of two returners. The change is “designed to increase the number of kickoff returns per game while attempting to make the play safer for players by negating the need to run or defend the length of the field,” according to USA TODAY.
“I feel like we’re getting new kickoffs every two years now,” Romo said. “Everyone’s always going to try to take advantage of certain things. I think there’s a lot of teams who don’t mind just kicking a ball and not having a return.
“But the teams who spend time and the coaches who make it important I think will gain an advantage … in hidden yards. The game is growing, it’s been wonderful to see.”
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Advice for Tom Brady in his new broadcast career?
Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady will begin his broadcast career this season as the lead analyst at Fox. Romo is the lead analyst at CBS.
“I talk to Tom all the time,” Romo said. “He wants to learn and be great. and I think he’s going to do a great job. Me and Tom are friends and we talk about broadcasting all the time.
“He’ll be good at everything.”
Who would be your dream golf pairing?
“Ben Hogan,” Romo said. “That one would be a great treat.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Tony Romo visits Metamora, Illinois, to play in OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Championship
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